1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connection controller that controls connection with a terminal with which communication is performed via a predetermined communication service, a communication system including the connection controller, and a connection control method, and more particularly, to a connection controller, a communication system, and a connection control method in which the convenience of a user of original communication is enhanced when communication interruption occurs.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, due to the great development in communication technologies, transmission and reception of audio and image signals via networks has been generalized. Accordingly, communication services using images and sound, such as videophone services and teleconferencing services, become popular.
In actual videophone or teleconferencing services, in the process of communication using terminals, a user of a terminal may communicate and have a conversation with a party with which the user is not currently communicating or may receive a connection request from the party. Under such circumstances, a videophone terminal that enhances serviceability is available (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-327914 (paragraphs [0011]-[0015] and FIG. 1)). For example, in the process of communication with a second videophone terminal, when receiving a call from a third videophone terminal, this videophone terminal receives from the third videophone terminal an information image indicating the call reception, combines the received information image with an image received from the second videophone terminal, and displays the combined image. In addition, a teleconferencing system in which, in the process of a teleconferencing service, a teleconference terminal is capable of receiving an interruption report via a circuit for reporting interruption, the circuit being provided independent of a teleconference circuit, is available (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 11-136368 paragraphs [0021]-[0023] and FIG. 2).